. >>> president obama today made a pitch for his plan to avoid the fiscal cliff which includes raising tax rats on higher-earning americans. >> we're not insisting on raises just out of spite or out of any kind of partisan bickering but rather because we -- we need to raise a certain amount of revenue. >> the president met with a group of ceos at the business round table and told them that he is hopeful that a deal can be reached in the following week that would head off the automatic tax hike and spending cuts from taking place in january. he said he has seen movement among republicans and that they might accept the tax hike if it is combined with entitlement reform and spending cuts. >>> te republican house majority leader told business leaders today president obama sms obsessed with raising tax. >>> we feel that's not the right direction to go, but we also feel that in that obsession is what he's about then let's at least do something about the spending problem. >> at the same meeth house speaker john baner said republicans have made a reasonable offer to the president with a balanc